Deja Vu
by nerdypurdy
Summary: [Post-Hogwarts, HHr] It's been eight years since they graduated from Hogwarts and things have definitely changed. Both of them created a new life for themselves and left their past behind. So what happens when they suddenly meet again? [Chapter 3 up]
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

A handsome young man, roughly 25 years of age, stood in front of his mirror as he quickly adjusted his tie.  He was just over six feet tall with dark brown hair that often fell into his eyes.  If you asked him, he wouldn't be able to tell you how many times he's cursed his hair, although he always assured you that the number was exponential, to say the least.

He reviewed his wardrobe again.  Dark blue pants, white shirt, emerald green tie, with a dark brown belt and shoes.  Upon reaching his head, he cursed his untamed hair once more.  Mentally giving it the okay, he grabbed his matching blue blazer and head out of his room, preparing to start his big day.

An owl flew in through his window, dropping off a newspaper before flying out again.  The young man barely paid attention as he quickly gathered his papers together and sorted them neatly into his briefcase.  When he finished, he shut his briefcase and placed it by the door.  He walked briskly towards the kitchen, one hand reaching out to grab the newspaper as he passed the table.

He quickly started the coffee maker and leaned against the counter, opening the newspaper.  The steady "drip…drip…drip…" of the machine continued in the background as he softly muttered, "Three….two…" as if counting down to something, "one…now."  He smiled mischievously as he heard a shout coming next room.

"JAMES!!" his roommate Draco yelled as he stormed out his bedroom into the kitchen.

James continued reading his newspaper as he "innocently" asked, "Yes?"

"Did you do this??"  Draco shrieked as he stormed out of his bedroom into the kitchen wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist.

James raised his gaze over his newspaper only to see a head of hot pink hair and a pair of steel colored eyes glaring at him.  He simply remarked, "That color actually suits you quite well, Draco.  I don't see what you're so upset about."

"GAH! Change it back!  NOW!"

James laughed, "Would you chill out, man?"

"CHILL OUT?! MY HAIR IS PINK!  WE HAVE A HUGE MEETING TODAY! AND YOU WANT ME TO CHILL OUT!!!"

A "Ding!" rang out, informing the two men that the coffee was ready.  James shut his paper, placed it on the counter and reached for a coffee mug.  "Yes, Draco, I want you to chill out," he laughed, "It's not permanent or anything…it'll go away in like five minutes.  It's no big deal."  He poured the fresh coffee into his mug, grabbed the newspaper, and sat down at the table.

"So what if it goes away in five minutes?!  It's the principle of the whole thing!  You…turned…my…hair…PINK!!"

James chuckled, "Then perhaps it would be wise of you to cast a protective charm on your shampoo bottle.  This entire thing can be prevented quite easily, you know."

"JAMES!"

"May I suggest that you stop griping at me and finish getting ready since we're leaving in about 10 minutes?"

"What?  No, we're not," he looked at the clock mounted over the sink, "We have over an hour," he said, confusion coming over his face.

James laughed again, "You forgot about Daylight Savings again?  'Spring forward,' and all that?"

"Crap!" Draco yelled as he ran back into his room, holding onto his towel to ensure that it wouldn't fall.

James snickered again as he softly said in a sing-song voice, "April Fool's!"  He opened up his newspaper again and quickly skimmed the headlines looking for something that interested him.

"'Minister of Magic, Arthur Weasley, renews search for Harry Potter!'…. Oy…when will they figure it out?  He's not here anymore…..'Weasley Twins Headed to the Top!'  Haha, good job, guys...'Harry Potter Spotted!' ….Jeez, give it a rest, Rita…no one believes you anymore."

He continued like this until one particular headline intrigued him, "'Uh-oh! Is Hart, Malfoy, and Co. in trouble?'" He muttered, "What the…?" as he opened up to the page containing the article.  He read it silently to himself.

"Yes! It's true!  Another is on the rise!  James and Draco had best watch their backs against this feminine duo!  Carey and Weasley, or as they're fondly known, C&W, are becoming wildly popular!  All I can say is…Hart, watch out!"

He looked at the picture showing Mia Carey and Ginny Weasley posing…back to back, both faces smiling at the camera, and arms crossed over their chests.

James thought to himself, "Hmm…this Carey girl seems familiar…but I don't remember meeting her…" Then another, bigger, thought struck him, "Crud!"

He abruptly stood up, taking the newspaper with him as he yelled at his roommate, "Malfoy! Get your butt out here! We've got trouble!"

The door opened and out came a very confused, albeit well-dressed, Draco; his hair back to normal.  "Huh? What?  Trouble?"

"Yup…we've got competition," he replied, handing Draco the newspaper for him to read and then reached for his briefcase.

After a minute, Draco looked back up at Harry and said, "Crap."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ginny Weasley!  I need to see you in my office…NOW!" James yelled as he passed by her cubicle.  

Ginny rolled her eyes and quickly hid her smile as she immediately got up to follow James and Draco into his office.

As she entered the door, James said, "Shut the door behind you."

She did what he asked and then turned to face him.  He was standing behind his desk with a fierce gaze directed at her.  The newspaper clinched tightly in his right hand and he furiously asked, "What the heck is this?" 

 "A newspaper, sir?"

"I know it's a newspaper, Ms. Weasley!  I want to know why the heck they are reporting that you and some Carey girl have started your own company!"

"Maybe because we did, sir."

"You're telling me…that in spite of the fact that I hired you as my secretary 4 years ago…the fact that we work well together…and the fact you signed a CONTRACT…you went and started your own business?!"

She looked at him, and then at Draco who was silently sitting on the couch in James' office with a questioning look on his face.

"Well?" James asked impatiently.

"I suppose that's true, sir."

"Well, if that's true then you're fired!"

"Okay," she said simply, not giving a fight, and then turning to walk out the door.  But just before she turned the handle, she looked back and asked, "Can I just say one thing?"

"What?"

At this point, Ginny smirked, opened the door, and said, along with the entire company who had been eavesdropping, "APRIL FOOL'S!!"

James stood shocked, his jaw reaching to his chest as the beginnings of a smile twitched on his lips.  He started to laugh, "It was a joke?"

Draco stood up and walked over to James, laughing as he said, "We finally got you, mate!"

The sound of laughter, applause, and whooping from the entire company was heard in the background as James exclaimed, "YOU!  You were in this?"

"The whole time."

Ginny said, "I can't believe you fell for it!  Do you actually think I'd leave the company like that?"

"Well," James said, defending himself, "You _are_ a Weasley."

Ginny laughed, "Good point."

"But man, am I glad you didn't start your own company."

"So does this mean I get my job back?"

"No."

"What?" Ginny screamed.

He laughed, "It means you never lost it."

"Well, thank God, I'd hate to sic my brother Ron on you."

"Ron?" he questioned, deftly putting on an act.

"Oh, that's right.  You've never met him yet.  I can't believe I've worked for you for four years and you still haven't met him."

"Well…I am busy."

"I know, but still."

Draco butted in, "Maybe it's a good thing he hasn't met him, what with his being a weasel and all?"  He grinned, awaiting her reaction.

However, Draco's grin was quickly wiped off his face, "Excuse me, Malfoy?" she retorted, "And who's the one who got turned into a ferret?"

"Hey, that wasn't my fault!"

She laughed, "Maybe not, but it still happened!  And my brother has never forgotten it!"

James was smiling at the memory before he realized that he was never there…so he quickly asked, "What are y'all talking about?"

Draco looked at him and said, "Oh, nothing.  It's a long story."

"Draco got on the bad side of our DADA professor one time and he was turned into a ferret."

James laughed as Draco asked, "Are you going to tell _everyone that story?"_

"Anyone who isn't a muggle and who's willing to listen."

"Okay, enough of this bickering!  I've had my filling of you two," James interrupted, "And I have a question, Ginny.  Who's Mia Carey?"

"Oh, finally!  I was wondering when you'd get around to asking about her.  She's one of my roommates from college.  Very smart…I was thinking that she'd be a great addition to the company…she's got a lot of talent, not to mention guts."

"So, you want me to interview yet another one of your friends?"

"Yes, I do.  But this time is different, I really think she'd be good."

"That's what you always say."

"Come on, James!  I owe it to her, she helped us with the prank!"

"Which is precisely why I don't want to interview her!  She might lead to another one of my downfalls!"

"James…" Ginny begged, giving him her best puppy-dog look.

James felt his heart melting and him reluctantly giving in, "Oh, fine.  Call her and set up an appointment!"

"Don't have to!  She's already here!"

"What?"

"She's here!  Just wait right here and I'll go get her!  Thanks, James!  I knew you wouldn't me down!" she said as she rushed out the door to go get Mia.

James looked at Draco helplessly, "What did I just get myself into?"

He replied, "I don't know, mate…but I sure don't wanna stick around to find out!"  And with that he left James' office.

"Oy, vey.  What have I done?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"He said okay! Come on, let's go!"

"Whoa, calm down, Ginny!"

"Come on, you have got to meet my boss!  I don't care if he even gives you a job, just meet him!"

"Wait!  So there was another reason you wanted me to come here?"

"Oops, did I say that out loud?"

"Ginny! Are you wanting me to go out with your boss?!"

"Oh, come on!  You haven't even met him yet, Mia!

"And I have half a mind to keep it that way!"

"Mia! Come on, he's perfect for you!  He's handsome, smart, nice…did I mention handsome?"

"Well, if he's so perfect then why aren't you going after him?"

Ginny blushed and stammered.  As Mia watched her behavior, she came to a realization, "Oh my gosh, it's Draco isn't it?"

"Oh, fine, whatever, I like him!  Now let's go get you a man!"

"Okay, okay…I'm going!  But only because I really need this job, okay?"

"Uh-huh, whatever…would you stop stalling!" she said as she pulled Mia along beside her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As the two women entered James' office, he stood up to greet them.

"Hi!  I'm Mia Carey.  Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice," she said, reaching out to shake his hand.

"Oh, it's no problem.  Ginny, why don't you wait outside?"

"Gladly!" she exclaimed with a huge smile on her face.  

James looked at her suspiciously as she walked out of the door.  After she left, James realized he still hadn't let go of Mia's hand.   He quickly let go and apologized.

She blushed, "It's okay."

"Err…why don't you take a seat and we'll get started."

"Okay, sure," she said.  As she sat down she watched James move around to seat and a feeling of déjà vu arose in the back of her head.  "Um, I hope you don't mind my asking, but have I met you before?"

"You know something?  I was actually wondering the same thing…but I don't think we were ever formally introduced.  Maybe we've just seen each other around?"

"Yeah, that's probably it," she agreed, although she wasn't entirely convinced.  Shoving it to the back of her mind, she reached down into her bag for her resume. 

"Oh, wow, I like you already!  You actually have a resume!" he said, laughing, as he reached forward for it.  He read it silently, occasionally saying something out loud.  "Wow…graduated Magna cum Laude….impressive," he read on until something caught his attention, he asked, obviously intrigued, "You spent the last two years conducting an independent research project on…the Forbidden curses?" 

"Yes, sir, that's correct.  My goal was to discover exactly how the curses worked."

"Did you?"

She grimaced, "No…not yet.  However, I firmly believe that I am very close to finding out the answers.  Unfortunately, my financial backers didn't seem to agree with me."

"Ahh…I see," he continued reading, "Huh…it doesn't say what school you attended prior to the University."

"I'm aware of that," she replied evasively.

"Well, where did you go?"

"I'm afraid I can't disclose that information."

He looked at her with a questioning look and raised an eyebrow.

"I know that doesn't sound good, and to be honest, it's one of the biggest reasons why I can't seem to get a job.  The only thing I can say is that I attended a top-secret institution that teaches everything a Magical school would.  Please don't ask me to say more about it."

James seemed to understand her situation and graciously let it slide…much to her relief.  He reread her resume again to see if there was anything else he wanted to ask her about.  Finding nothing, he said, "Well…I must say I'm very impressed with your qualifications."

Mia felt her heart leap up in her chest to what he was implying.

He was quiet for a few minutes, thinking over what he would offer her, and then he said, "I'd like to start you on a 3-month paid trial basis.  I would like you to continue your research on the Forbidden curses with a report on your findings every other week.  I'm prepared to offer you a guarantee of 10,000 Galleons for the next three months and a budget of 500,000 Galleons for your research…more if I like how you are progressing.  Do you accept?"

"Well, I don't know about my personal salary…ten sounds kind of low," she replied, and then feeling ambitious, she added, "Fifty."

"Thirty," James countered.

She smiled, "Deal."

James stood up and came around to shake her hand in agreement.  As their hands touched, the two of them felt something akin to a jolt of electricity.  They stood there in silence, looking into each other's eyes…their hands still holding each others but not moving.  Finally, James realized what was happening and quickly pulled his hand away, saying, "I guess we have a deal then."

"I guess so."

Then he whispered, "You know…I would have given you fifty."

She smirked, and whispered right back, "I would have taken the ten."

Smiling at his apparent state of shock, she called out, "Ginny, you can stop eavesdropping and come in now!"

And come in she did.  She threw open the door and rushed to hug Mia, "I told you!" she shouted, "I told you he'd come through!"

Mia laughed, "Yes, you did.  And I have you to thank for my new job."

At this point, James interrupted as he walked back to the other side of his desk, "Ginny, I need you to draw up the contract with the terms we've agreed on.  I trust you heard them…being outside the door and all…"

Ginny blushed as he smirked and Mia laughed good-heartedly.  James picked up the phone, pushed a button and held the receiver to his ear as it rang.  When someone answered on the other line, he said, "Draco…board room in five."

"I know, Hart," he replied, annoyed as he hung up the phone.

James chuckled softly as he put the phone back and picked up his suitcase.  He walked over the two women, "As much as I would love to stay for the celebration, I'm afraid I have a very important meeting to attend.

Mia nodded, "Thank you for seeing me, Mr. Hart."

"Agh…please call me James," he begged, "I hate being called 'mister'.  Makes me feel old."

"Okay then, Mr.H-…James."

"Much better," he said as he walked to the door, then turned around suddenly, "Oh! I forgot!  We use a lot of muggle technology here…we found a way to prevent the disruptions that magic cause around them a few years back, but we haven't released the method to the public yet.  Are you familiar with muggle technology?" he asked.

"Yes, my parents are muggles," Mia replied.

"Good…good, I'm glad to hear that.  There's not nearly enough muggle-borns attracted to this field…which is depressing as some of them are brilliant," he paused a second, memories flashing up in his head, then broke the spell as he was so used to doing and said to Ginny, "Don't forget!  By tomorrow morning!" then turned and walked quickly to the board room.

The two women watched as he turned a corner and disappeared from their sight.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay, I _was_ gonna hold off on this chapter a bit…but I felt bad for confusing some people.  This chapter should clear things up a bit…  Reviews are lovely….

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**Chapter 2**

He sat at his desk, looking over what seemed to be mountains of paperwork.  Yawning, he attempted to blink away his sleepiness.  He looked at his watch, which read 9:48 p.m.  After a few more minutes, he gave up and stood.  He thought to himself, _I'll just deal with this tomorrow.  He retrieved his briefcase, put on his blazer, and strode to the door.  Closing it behind him, he used his wand to lock the door and then apparated home.  However, unbeknownst to him, a note hung on his office door…_

**_"Meet me you-know-where.  They know.  Do not go home!"_**

As his living room swirled into sight, he instantly knew one thing…_something's wrong_.  His sharp eyes searched around the room trying to find the source of his uneasiness.  His gaze fell upon a light blinking underneath his table.  He instantly fell to his stomach and looked underneath just in time to see "3….2….1…."

Miles away…an explosion was heard shattering the silence.

James gasped and jerked quickly as he awoke.  Papers fluttered to the ground due to his sudden movement.  He glanced at the clock, 11:03 p.m.   Breathing heavily, he attempted to regain a normal heartbeat.  He placed his head into his hands and rubbed his forehead…reaching under his desk, he pushed a button.  

A few seconds later, an old man with sparkling eyes and a youthful personality appeared in his office.  In a teasing voice, he said, "You rang?"  His gaze fell upon James behind his desk, still gasping, and his smile disappeared from his face.  "Merlin!  What happened?"

"Wow!  I can't believe this is actually happening!" Mia said.

"I know!" Ginny squealed.

Draco interrupted, "I think this calls for a toast," he said as he poured a drink for each of them.

"Mmm…okay…but only one!" Mia agreed, then giggled, "I have to work tomorrow!"

They drank a toast to Mia's new job.  A few minutes later, Mia sensed that the two wanted to be alone.  _I know when I'm not wanted, she thought.  She politely excused herself, "Umm…I'm gonna go take a walk…get some fresh air.  Excuse me."_

Neither Ginny nor Draco attempted to persuade her otherwise.  They sat talking comfortably for a few minutes.  Ginny said, "I can't believe how much you've changed, Draco."

He smirked a little bit, "Yeah, I guess miracles do happen."

"What, you didn't know that before?"

"Well, I never exactly imagined I'd owe my life to Pot-," he corrected himself, "to Harry."

Ginny smiled, "Personally, I'm glad you do.  It's better than the other option."

"Oh, doubtless…it's amazing how much a life can change in an instant, huh?"  
  


"Yeah, it is…" Ginny said, her voice trailing.

"I mean, think about it.  You can get hurt, get a new job, meet peop-," but Draco found his words cut off as a pair of lips were on his. Then just as soon as they met his, they left.

Ginny bit her lower lip nervously, awaiting his reaction.

Dazed, he continued, "Get kissed…"

Ginny couldn't help but laugh at that.  Draco, still amazed, gazed at her face with a look of wonder.  He looked at that one red piece of her hair that stubbornly continued to fall into her eyes no matter how many times she nervously tucked it back.  His eyes moved along to her jaw line, her lips, and then finally back to her eyes.  Smiling, he leaned forward and kissed her again.  Ginny's mouth opened as Draco's tongue slid in to caress hers.  Both of their eyes were closed, allowing them to focus on the feelings coursing through their bodies.

Opening his eyes, Draco pulled back gently and he asked, "Will you go out with me?"

"I _knew_ we missed a step there!" Ginny teased, a smile coming over her face.

He laughed, "Come on, will you?"

"Yes, Draco, I'd love to go out with you."

He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her once more…a kiss she eagerly returned.

"It's happening again.  The dreams…I don't know what to think of it."

"What happened?"

He explained the contents of his dream to Dumbledore, who merely listened.  Nervously, James asked, "What does it mean, Albus?  Is…another Dark Lord rising?"

"No, I don't believe so…not yet, anyway.  I think that you're afraid of missing something vitally important…a clue, a sign.  What did the note say?"

"Err…'Meet me you-know-where.  They know.  Do not go home.'"

"Well, there you have it then."

"Have what?"

"You're afraid of your friends finding out about your past because you fear that they'll betray you or shun you."

He fidgeted, "Does that mean they will find out?"

"I cannot answer that.  They already think you're dead, or at the very least, missing.  I do know that they all miss you dearly."

"Yeah, well, they've moved on, haven't they?"

"Only to some extent, they've never been able to truly put it behind them…particularly Miss Granger.  She changed her whole life after you disappeared.  I believe it's time now, Harry.  You need to tell them you're here…that you're not dead."

"I can't…I'm not ready."

"It's been 8 years, Harry.  Recapture your life.  I can't make decisions for you, but that's my advice.  Good night, Harry."

­­

"All right, I'll see you two lovely women at work tomorrow.  Good night!" Draco said as he disapparated home.

"Ahem, so did you two have fun when I left?" Mia asked.

Ginny blushed as she replied, "I kissed him."

Mia's eyes widened, "Did he kiss you back?"

She nodded, "And he asked me out to dinner this Saturday."

"That's so great!  I'm so happy for you, Ginny!"

"Speaking of our love lives," Ginny's eyes sparked with curiosity, "What did you think of James?"

"He's…nice," Mia answered evasively, not looking at her.

"Come on, Hermione, get off it!  Tell me the truth!"

"It's just…he reminds me so much of Harry."

"That's one reason I thought he'd be so good for you."

"Don't get me wrong, Ginny.  I only talked to the guy for about five minutes but initially, yeah, I am attracted to him…I don't deny that.  But…it's almost painful.  All the feelings I had for Harry are resurfacing with James, but- it's still Harry's face I see…that I want to see."

"Hermione, you need to face your past and move on.  I think your problem is that you've never dealt with it…never came to terms with everything."

Hermione looked at Ginny silently as she continued.

"I mean, you created this whole new life for yourself…this whole past without Harry.  You even look different!  Darker, straightened hair…blue eyes.  For crying out loud, you haven't even told Ron who you really are in the last five years.  He still thinks you're off in Africa helping kids!  And the only reason I even know is 'cause we lived together for three years in college and you couldn't hide it for that long!"

"I know you're right, Ginny…but that doesn't change the fact that I'm still afraid to move on.  There's this really big part of me that refuses to believe Harry's dead.  That believes he's still out there somewhere and that any day now, when he's ready, he'll come back."

"You always did have more faith that Harry was still alive than anyone else."

"I have to, Ginny.  If I didn't believe, I wouldn't know what to do with myself."

"You're never going to give up on him, are you?"

Hermione gave Ginny a little half-smile as she said, "I can't."

"What about James?"

"What about him?  He may act a little like Harry, but…he's not."

"James?" Draco called out as he reached his flat, "James, you home?"  _Where is he, he thought, _it's after ten!_  He walked into the kitchen from the living room, but still didn't find James.  He searched James' room and his room…nothing.  Then, he heard something coming from the bathroom…it sounded like…_breaking glass_?_

Worried, he rushed to the restroom and opened the door.  He was startled by the sight that greeted him.  James was furiously throwing whatever he could at the mirror…his shampoo bottles, his toothbrush, anything.  Draco looked at the floor and saw what had actually broken the mirror…a metal picture frame.  _I've never seen that before…_Draco thought as he bent down to pick it up.  The frame was…beautiful…delicately crafted, yet strong…but even more startling was the picture it held.  The glass protecting it had been shattered as well.  Three teenagers stood in that picture…each 17 years old.  Two boys and girl…_Why does he have a picture of "The Trio"?_

He glanced up to look up at James, who had by now calmed down and stood there looking at Draco, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall.  "Man, James…are you all right?"

"Yeah," James replied, his voice deep with emotion, "I'm brilliant…absolutely bloody brilliant."

"What happened?  Why are you…destroying your bathroom?"

He shrugged, "Didn't know what else to do…"

Draco looked at the picture in his hands again and then asked, "Why do you have this picture?  I thought you didn't know them…"

"I knew them…about as well as anyone could…"

"So…did you know Harry?"

"Yeah…"

"Man…that must've been hard on you…wait a second, that doesn't make sense.  You never went to Hogwarts!  How could you know Harry?"

"I went to Hogwarts…"

"What?  I thought you went to St. Brutus' Magical School…"

James scoffed, "That school doesn't even exist….I made it up."

Draco was absolutely confused, "Why would you lie?"

"You wouldn't understand…I had to get away…from everything…"

Suddenly, everything clicked inside Draco's mind…._Harry's disappearance 8 years ago…James moved in with me 7 ½ years ago…  His brain was thinking quickly…rapidly piecing together all the clues to James' real identity, "Potter?" he asked incredulously._

"Right in one…" Harry muttered.

Draco's jaw dropped.

Ginny asked, "Hermione…when we were at Hogwarts….had anything happened with you and Harry?"  

Hermione laughed, "I can't believe it took you this long to ask that question…six years…wow."

"Well, did it?" Ginny prodded.

"No…and I've always hated the fact that I never told him the truth.  He was gone before I could tell him…"  A tear ran down her cheek as she recalled her memories from that time, "I was so in love with him…I was an idiot to not tell him!"

"Why'd you run away?" Draco asked.

"I don't know…I got scared, I guess."

"Scared?  Harry Potter, the Brave Gryffindor, scared?  Of what?"

Harry's reply came in a whisper, "Love…"

"Love?  You were scared of love?"

"No…I was terrified."

"Why?"

"Because…I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if I lost her.  I was worried that my being Harry Potter would make her a target…so…I decided that Harry shouldn't be here anymore.  I couldn't put her in danger…I couldn't…"

"I knew it!" Draco laughed and then shouted, "I knew it!!"

Now it was Harry's turn to be confused, "Knew what?" 

"That you were in love with Granger!"

"You knew?"

"Who didn't?  That's the thing about you Gryffindors…you guys always wear your heart on your sleeves."

"Well, at least we _have_ hearts," Harry joked.

"At least Slytherins' have brains!" Draco fired back.

They both laughed.

Draco said, "Man!  Just wait till Ginny finds out who you are!  She'll probably die in shock!"

Harry's face suddenly grew grim, "You can't tell her! Please don't tell her…"

"Why not?"

"Bec…because."

"Don't you want her to know?"

"Not yet…I don't want anyone to know yet."

"Then why do I know?"

"Well, how the heck was I supposed to explain breaking the mirror?"

"Well, you could've-"

"Oh, come off it, you know already.  Just…don't tell anyone else yet, okay?"

"Yeah, sure…whatever, mate."

"Thanks."

An awkward moment passed between the two and then Draco asked, "Didn't you still hate me when we graduated?"

"Of course I did."

"So…why did you become my roommate in the first place?"

"Well, think about it…no one would suspect me of being Harry Potter _because_ I lived with you…"

Draco nodded, "Good point."

"Yeah…so I guess Gryffindors have brains too."

"Mmm, maybe…but it's very rare."

Hermione unlocked the door to her flat, entered the room and shut the door behind her.  She dropped her keys on her coffee table and then walked to her room.  She slowly undressed and got into her pajamas, went to the restroom and brushed her hair and teeth.  For a couple of seconds, she just looked at herself in the mirror…she didn't look much like she did 8 years ago.  _Ginny's right_, she thought.  Sighing, she went back to her room and crawled into bed.

She lay there staring at the ceiling as she tried to ignore the fact that she still went to bed alone.__


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot…characters belong to Miss JK Rowling.

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**Chapter 3**

The next morning Harry awoke with two principal feelings – each vying for the paramount position in his mind – one, relief because someone else (besides Dumbledore) knew about his secret; and two, terror because someone else finally knew his secret.

He lay in bed – his brown hair spread out like a fan creating a slight contrast against his white pillow; the covers were brought up to his stomach – and he stared at his ceiling.  At the moment, his mind was a whirlwind of emotions flying chaotically in every which way; completely paradoxical to his seemingly inability to move.  He would honestly feel sorry for anyone if they should happen in stumble upon his brain in the process of Legilimency, seeing as how it was currently in a particularly jumbled state.

He groaned, knowing full well that he would eventually have to get up and hating the universe for reminding him of that unpleasant, rather miniscule detail when he would rather remain in blissful ignorance.  Peeling himself out of bed would undoubtedly be extremely difficult…more so than usual.  

In fact, it already was; generally, when his alarm went off, he would force open one sleepy eye, grunt and his right arm would defy gravity for a fleeting moment in time – at least until it plopped down again upon his electronic plastic "piece-of-junk" as he so lovingly called it (in the process of crawling out of his bed).  

He typically only went through that incredibly grueling, unsavory process once; today, however, he went through his routine thrice before finally waking up enough to count the number of ceiling tiles he had.  

It was simply one of those mornings where you'd give just about anything so that you would never to have to leave the warmth, comfort, and safety that was your bed.

He began thinking about possible excuses…which was a tad more difficult when you were a wizard as there were spells for practically every illness and disease known to mankind; and you obviously couldn't use "My car broke down," because Apparation was the dominant form of travel and easily done.  

He continued brainstorming before he finally realized that he _owned_ and was the President of his corporation (along with Draco); so really, the only people he had to convince were himself and Malfoy.  

The Universe, however, didn't seem to be willing to allow him to get away from life that easily, as was evident by the sudden knocking sound that occurred.  

A deep, guttural noise arose from deep within his throat in protest – or perhaps anger; he had yet to come up with an excuse to tell Draco – but he remained in bed without further acknowledging his roommate's presence outside of his door.

Agh…there it was again…that infernal knocking!  It was a little more insistent this time too.  Pulling the covers over his head, Harry stubbornly refused to own up to the existence of a world outside his bed.  In his slightly dim, white world underneath his sheets, he heard a slight click and then the soft thudding of footsteps.  The latter sound grew increasingly louder until, finally…they stopped.  Harry clamped his eyes shut and braced himself for the inevitable.  

Then, in one instantaneous flash of time, there was a quick succession of events; a sudden chill upon losing his source of warmth, the light somehow becoming brighter, and a loud whooshing sound filling the air.  Harry groaned and pulled his legs towards his chest; he was cold and he desperately wanted his blanket back.  

"Rise and shine, Wizard King!" sang a decidedly obnoxious voice, "Or, would that be Lizard King?" 

"Urgh," Harry groaned as he dug his face deeper into the mattress.  "Sod off, Malfoy."

"Can't, mate…it's my solemn duty as your roommate to annoy you incessantly until you're fully awake."

"Well, it doesn't really matter today, ferret-boy.  I'm staying home."

"You know, I resent that remark.  That incident happened over 10 years ago," Draco defended himself and then added, "I am certainly no longer a boy."

Harry opened one sleepy eye to gape at his roommate who, as he just recently decided, was most definitely going insane.

"Oh, yeah, and you're not missing work today."

"I'm an adult, Malfoy.  I'm pretty sure I can decide that for myself."

"Okay," said Draco, as he turned to the door, "but I should probably remind you that we have a new employee today."

Harry cursed and immediately leapt out of bed as though he had seen the snitch.  He ran into his bathroom and proceeded to get ready.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Minutes later, Harry stood in his closet with only a towel wrapped around his waist and his still wet hair dripping beads of water on his chest and the floor.  His mind was a complete and utter blank as to what he should wear today.  He finally decided he desperately needed help.  "Draco!" he yelled.

Half a minute later, his roommate entered the closet, a cup of coffee in his hand.

"What?" Draco asked, a tinge of annoyance in his voice.

"What do I wear today?"

Draco immediately smirked.  "Why the sudden interest in your attire, Potter?"

"Don't be a prat, Malfoy.  Come on…what should I wear?"

Draco laughed and glanced at the contents in Harry's closet.  Finally, after a minute he said, "Just go business cas.  Those khakis, that dark blue shirt, that brown belt, and those brown shoes."

Harry grinned happily.  "Perfect!"

Draco shrugged.  "Of course," he replied, "Knowledge of fashion is a must when one is rich."

"Right…" Harry said.  "As much as I'm dying to know the rules of being rich, I have to finish getting ready.  Thank you for your help, now get out."

"Well, excuse me, your Majesty.  Sorry I didn't sprinkle rose petals for you."

"Sod off, Malfoy."

"Ahh…the phrase of the day," Draco remarked as he left the closet to leave Harry in peace.

*~*~*~*~*

"Morning, Ginny!"

"Hey, Mia," Ginny replied.  "Draco called earlier and said that he and James are running a little late and that James will show you your office when he gets here."

"Oh, okay.  Thanks," Mia said as she watched Ginny lean over some more paperwork.  She stood there awkwardly, not exactly knowing what to do until Ginny finally noticed.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Mia!  Sit down…talk…keep me company!"

Mia quirked an eyebrow at Ginny and said, "You're so weird," but she took a seat anyway.

"What's so bad about being weird?  I, for one, think that it makes life more interesting."

Mia smirked.  "Oh, it makes life more interesting all right."

Ginny narrowed her eyes at her friend.  "Shut up."

Mia began to say something else but the flurry of noise that suddenly arose alerted her to the presence of James and Draco.  She stood up and stepped out of the cubicle only to see several heads bobbing around.

"Mr. Hart!  I need your signature for this form!"

"Mr. Malfoy, can you sign off on this order for me?"

A few minutes and a couple of dozen requests later, James finally managed to get to Mia who was patiently leaning against a door.

He grinned.  "Ready to see your office?"

"As I'll ever be," she replied, "Where is it?"

"Right behind-" he started, but was interrupted.

"Mr. Hart!"

"Quick!" he whispered as he reached over to open the door Mia had been leaning on and then, he gently grabbed her arm, pulling her into the room and deftly closing the door behind him.

They both leaned up against the door, their hearts beating wildly from their minor adventure, when Mia began laughing for no real reason.

"Shh," James reproached her, rather unsuccessfully as he too was beginning to laugh.  They laughed a little longer before they both finally regained control of themselves.  James said, "Well, this is it."

For the first time, Mia glanced around her new office.  Her gaze gently covered the room and she took in the sight before her.  It was…perfect.  There was no other word for it.  The carpeting was a rich, deep blue color, two walls were painted cornflower blue, and there were light color pine baseboards running along the perimeter of the room.  But, the highlight of the office, in Mia's eyes, were the bookshelves; they went floor to ceiling, covering the length of the walls and running parallel to each other.  One side had already been crammed with books covering a multitude of subjects and the other side was empty…patiently waiting for its turn to be filled.

Mia moved over to the empty bookshelf and ran her hand gently over the wood.  Her gaze couldn't stop moving over the room as she wanted to see everything there was in the room.

"Do you like it?" James asked.

Mia answered breathlessly.  "Yes, it's…it's incredible."  She turned and looked at James.  "It's how I always imagined my office to be."

James smiled.  "There's more."

Mia laughed in disbelief.  "What?"

"Yeah," James replied as he walked towards the opposite wall.  "Right through this door," he said as he opened the door and stood back to let Mia through.  

As she passed the threshold, James said, "Your laboratory."

Mia gasped.  "Oh, wow!  This is great!  This has everything I need!"

"Well, that's good…because we need you to get started as soon as you can."

She laughed.  "Why am I not surprised?"

"I don't know," James replied, "but I have a meeting in a few minutes so I have to get going.  Just…uh…get yourself settled in your office and start working when you can.  I'll see you later."  He turned to leave, but Mia called out.

"Hey, James…thanks."

He smiled.  "You're welcome."

*~*~*~*~*

Ginny was sitting at her desk looking over some papers and writing a few notes when she heard a light rapping sound.  She looked over towards the opening in her cubicle to see her silver-eyed boss looking back at her.  Smiling, she put her pen down on her desk and leaned back in her chair.  "Ahh, Mr. Malfoy, can I help you?"

"You know, I'm not really sure," he replied as he sat himself down in a chair on the other side of Ginny's desk, "I was wondering if you could help me find someone."

"Oh," Ginny said as she moved her chair closer to her desk and leaned forward placing her arms upon the flat surface.  "I see.  Well, do you have a name for this…person?"

"No, I can't say that I have her name."

"Well, you're gonna have to give me something if you want me to find this woman.  Do you know anything about her?"

"Well," Draco answered, "She's gorgeous.  She's about five feet, six inches tall, has red hair down to her shoulders, adorable freckles on her nose, and the most beautiful voice."

"Oh?" Ginny replied, catching on to Draco's game but playing along.  "No…I can't say I know anyone who fits that description."

"Really?  That's a shame.  We were supposed to have dinner this Saturday, but I can't seem to remember where we were going to meet.  Come to think of it, I'm fairly sure we hadn't gone over that detail."

"Hmm…that _is_ a shame."  Ginny smirked as she stood up, grabbed some files, and moved to leave her office.

Draco stood up and followed her as well.  "Where are you going?"

Ginny glanced back over her shoulder.  "I have some papers to deliver.  You're welcome to tag along if you want."

Draco pursed his lips, obviously not happy with the way this was going.  However, he didn't say anything; he just bided his time and continued to follow the youngest Weasley.  Finally, his opportunity came as they passed his office; he looked around to make sure no one was watching, opened his door and swiftly pulled Ginny into the room with him, shutting the door behind him.

"Tag along, huh?  I don't tag along," Draco said a hint of teasing in his voice.

"Oh?  My mistake then," Ginny said as she shrugged as began to move past Draco to the door. 

Draco laughed.  "Come here, you little tart!"  

Ginny laughed as well as she felt his arms wrap around her waist and gently turn her to face him.  Her eyes found his and saw a playful glint residing among his silver irises.  "So, you couldn't remember my name?"

"Ahh!  I thought you resembled her!" Draco exclaimed.

"Hmm," Ginny said, "you're evil."

"Maybe," Draco shrugged.  "But you're fairly evil as well…and a good kisser, I might add."

"Am I?  Well, I'm glad to know that," Ginny replied as she moved towards Draco.

Draco summarily covered the rest of the distance and kissed her, his arms placed on her hips.  Ginny moved her arms up and rested them on Draco's shoulders, one hand finding the back of his head and gently playing with his hair.

As much as they would have loved to continue, a knock at the door interrupted them.  They quickly moved apart as the door opened and James' head popped in.

"Dra-" he began to say, but stopped upon seeing Ginny.  "Oh, hey, Ginny.  I didn't know you were in here."  He noted the slight blush that arose on Ginny's cheeks, but didn't say anything.

"Well," Ginny said as she looked at Draco, "it looks like James needs to talk to you so I'll just come by later this morning to get you to sign those forms I was talking about."

"That sounds good to me," Draco replied.

Ginny picked up the papers that she had earlier dropped onto Draco's couch and quietly left the room, shutting the door behind her.

James looked at Draco curiously with the beginnings of a smile twitching at his lips.  "Did I miss something?"

"Yes," Draco replied, "but then again, that's not new for you."

James ignored that remark and asked, "When did this happen?"

Draco cleared his throat.  "Last night…now, don't we have a meeting to attend?" he replied briskly as he moved past James and opened the door.

James raised a singular eyebrow in amusement.  "Lead the way," he replied as he followed Draco to the board room for their daily morning meeting with the company committee.


End file.
